Boiler-flue rolling apparatus



Aug. 18, 1931. R. O. MORRISON BOILER FLUE ROLLING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 25. 1929 N O w O ms ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 18, 1931 PATENT OFFICE ROLLA O. MORRISON, F CHICAGO HEIGHTS, ILLINOIS BOILER-FLUE ROLLING APPARATUS l Application led 'February 25, 1929. Serial No. 342,562.

This invention relates to certain novel improvements in boiler-flue rolling apparatus, and has for its principal object the provision f an improved construction of this character which will be highly efficient in use and economical in manufacture.

The salient object of my invention is to provide a device of the above-named character which will `be particularly arranged so l@ that it can be inserted into the end of a boiler flue in order that the end portion may be rolled to provide a tight connection with the head ortion in which it is mounted.

A fiirther object of the invention is to provide a device of the above-named character which may be arranged so that it can be employed either in connecting the tubes of a tubular boiler or the fiues of a flue boiler.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the above-named character which will be arranged so that it can be advanced into the apparatus without the necessity of driving the same, and to arrange the mechanisms sothat it can be released without requiring the use of a hammer and in this way the life of the expanding mandrel employed may be prolonged.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood `by f reference to the accompanying drawings, showing the preferred form of construction and in which:

Fig. l is an elevational View depicting a preferred form of construction for my device;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View taken on a horizontal plane on line 2-2 of the device as illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a view depicting my improved apparatus in operative position'.

In the accompanying drawings wherein I have illustrated a preferred form of construction for my invention, 10 indicates a boiler tube or iiue which is intended to be 5o mounted in an opening 11 in the head 12.

The tube 10 is retained in the opening 11 by rolling portionsadjacent the end of the tube outwardly so as to become wedged inthe opening 11 as indicated at 13. In the prior art this has been accomplished by driving an expanding mandrel into a device carrying rollers and then rotating the device so as to cause the rollers to roll portions of the tube outwardly. However, this arrangement entailed numerous disadvantages since it was t0 difficult to release after the tube had been secured in position and since the constant pounding against the end of the mandrel soon renderedI the same unfit for further usage. Further it was difficult to install a C5 device of this character and I have, therefore, provided an arrangement which will overcome these diiculties.

In the accompanying drawings wherein I have illustrated a preferred form of construction for my invention, 14 generically indicates the expanding mandrel employed in my device. The mandrel 14 includes a tapered portion 15 which terminates at its outer end in a threaded portion 16 on which 75 a nut 17 is adapted to be fitted. The opposite end of the tapered portion 15 terminates in a screw-threaded portion 18 and outwardly of this screw-threaded portion 18 is the head portion 19 in which the openings 20 are pro- 80 vided for a purpose to be made apparent presently.

The expanding rollers 21 employed in my device are mounted in openings 22 providedin the roller supporting member 23. The roller supporting member 23 is formed so as to be substantially tubular and has a flange 24 provided at the inner end thereof. A boss 25 is provided on the interior of the roller supporting member 23 for engaging the ta- 90 pered portion 15 at a predetermined time to limit the extent of the inward movement of the mandrel 14. Mounted on the periphery of the roller supporting member 23, intermediate the inner ends of the rollers 21 and the 5 flange 24, is a collar 25 which has foot portions 26 provided thereon at diametrically opposed points, the purpose of which will be pointed out hereinafter.

A nipple 26 is provided which has screw mf threads 27 provided on the periphery thereof adjacent one end. A ring 28 is arranged on the screw-threads 27. Formed on the roller supporting member 23 in alinement with the flange 24 is a shoulder 29 against which the end of the nipple 26 is adapted to abut and the ring 28 is arranged in juxtaposition to the flange 24. Bolts 30 are provided for interconnecting the flange 24 and the ring 28.

On the end of the nipple opposite that carrying the screw-threads 27 there is formed a flange 31. A coupling 32 is provided which has an inwardly disposed flange 33 provided on one end thereof. Prior to the time the ring 28 is connected on the screw-threads 27 the nipple 26 is inserted int-o the coupling 32 so as to extend past the shoulder 33 formed therein. This obviously brings the flange 31 into alinement with the shoulder 33 and a ring 34 is interposed between theshoulder 33 and the ange 31 as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2. It is, therefore, seen that the coupling 32 is connected to the nipple 26 in a manner such that the coupling 32 may be rotated without imparting movement to the nipple 26.

The inner periphery of the coupling 32 is screw-threaded as indicated at 35 and'these screw-threads extend inwardly from the end opposite the flange 33. A nipple 36 has screwthreads 37 on the periphery thereof adjacent one end which are adapted to be connected in the screw-threads 35. A bearing ring 38 is arranged intermediate the shoulder 31 and the inner end of the nipple 36. A plug 39 is'inserted into the end of the nipple 36 which protrudes beyond the coupling 32. A screwthreaded opening 4() is provided in the plug 39 into which the screw-threaded portion 18 of the mandrel 14 is fitted.

The openings 22 in which the rollers 21 are disposed are arranged in a manner such that the outer portions of the openings 22 are of less width than the diameter of the rollers 21. The tapered portion 15 of the mandrel 14 extends through the roller supporting member 23, and the rollers 21 are retained in the openings 22 by engagement with the tapered portion 15. The tapered portion 15 is of sufficient diameter at its smallest end to prevent displacement of the rollers 21 from the openings 22, and when the mandrel 14 is retracted so as to bring the Vsmallest portion of the tapered portion 15 intoposition below the rollers 21 the nut 17 serves to prevent further retraction of the mandrel 14 by engaging the end of the roller supporting housing 23.

In use the device is disposed with the tapered portion 15 of the mandrel 14 extending into the tube 10 as is clearly illustrated in Fig. 4. The tapered portion 15 is disposed relative to the roller supporting housing 23 in a position such that the rollers 21 are forced into tight engagement with the inner surface of the outer end of the tube 10. The mechanisms connected to the roller supporting housing -23 are then rotated one complete revolution and then the mandrel is turned so as to advance the tapered portion 15, and in this manner the rollers 21 are placed under tension so that whenl the roller supporting housing 23 and the parts connected thereto are again rotated a complete revolution the pressure exerted by the rollers will cause the tube 10 to be as it isl called rolled or expanded outwardly. Inasmuch as the position of the tapered portion 15 relative to the roller housing 23 is fixed it is apparent that an equal pressure will lbe exerted by the rollers 21 throughoutthe complete revolution imparted as heretofore set forth. The hereintofore described operations are carried out in the following manner:

The mandrel 14 is rotated by inserting a suitable implement into one of the openings 20 which obviously will provide sufficient leverage to permit the mandrel 14 to be rotated, and this rotation is such that when the mandrel is rotated it Will be advanced due to the screw-threads 18. The periphery of the nipple 36 on thev portion thereof extending beyond the coupling 32 is nurled as indicated at 41. Therefore, while gripping this nurled portion 41 the roller supporting housing 23 and parts connected thereto may be rotated and, therefore, the rollers 21 will be caused -to move over the inner periphery of the tube 10 to roll the same outwardly substantially as described. The foregoing operations are carried out until the' portion 10 of the tube 10 is flared outwardly to define a section of the tube that is of larger diameter than the body of the tube 10, and thereby expanding the opening 11, as is clearly illustrated in Fig. 4. In tliis manner the portion 10 of the tube 10 is forced into binding engagement with the wall 12.

When it is desired to remove the device from the tube 10 the nipple 36'will be rotated, by a pipe wrench on 41, in clockwise dircction as seen looking in at the left in Fig. 1, which will rotate coupling 32 therewith, and when flange 33 of coupling 32 abuts ring 28 continued rotation of nipple 36 and coupling 32 will move the foot portions 26 into engagement with the outer surface of the head 12. Therefore, when the foot portions 26 are in engagement with the head 12 continued clockwise rotation of the nipple 36 and coupling 32 will cause the mandrel 14 to be moved outwardly due to the relative more ment permitted between the member and this housing, it being understood that the mandrel 14 is prevented from rotating during this rotation of nipple 36 and coupling 32 by a. tool in openinrT 20, and, therefore, after the tapered portion 14 has been released from the rollers 21 the device may be expeditiously extracted from the tube 10.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification, without departing from the spirit of the invention. I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is: e

1. In a device of the class described, a roller supporting member having openings therein in which rollers may be confined for lateral movement, a mandrel having a tapered portion adapted to be disposed in said roller supporting member whereby the tapered portion thereof may engage said rollers to impart lateral movement thereto as said mandrel is moved through said housing, a nipple structure connected to said roller supporting housing, a coupling rotatably connected to said nipple structure, and means connected to said coupling having screwthreaded engagement with a portion ofy said mandrel, said mandrel being adapted to be rotated to cause advancement thereof, said coupling and said nipple being interconnected such that rotative movement imparted to said mandrel will not be imparted to said roller supporting housing and such that rotative movement imparted to said roller supporting housing will not be imparted to said mandrel.

2. In a device of the class described, a roller supporting member having openings therein in which rollers may be confined for lateral movement, a mandrel having a tapered portion adapted to b`e disposed in said roller supporting member whereby the tapered portion thereof may engage said rollers to impart lateral movement thereto as said mandrel is moved through said housing, a nipple structure connected to said roller supporting housing, a coupling rotatably connected to said nipple structure, and means connected to said coupling having screwthreaded engagement with a portion of said mandrel, said mandrel being adapted to be rotated to cause advancement thereof, said lateral movement, a mandrel having a tapered portion adapted to be disposed in said roller supporting housing, means on the end of said mandrel adapted to prevent passage thereof back through said housing, said mandrel being adapted to retain said rollers in said openings, a nipple structure connected to said Iroller supporting housing, a coupling, means for interconnecting said nipple and said coupling whereby said coupling may be rotated relative to said nipple, another nipple structure connected to said coupling, means carried by said last-named nipple structure having screw-threaded engagement with a screw-threaded portion of said mandrel 'whereby said mandrel may be rotated relative to said first nipple structure and said roller housing. i

In testimony whereof I afixmy signature.

' ROLLA O. MORRISON.

coupling and said nipple being interconnecti ed such that rotative movement imparted to said mandrel will not be imparted to said roller supporting housing and such that rotative movement imparted to said roller supporting housing will not be imparted to said mandrel, said roller supporting housing'having a collar mounted on the periphery thereof having foot portions formed thereon adapted to extend in a direction toward said rollers.

3. In a device of the class described, a roller supporting housing having openings formed therein adapted to support rollers for 

